Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



SSheets-SheetL E. HUGHES.

d Jammu-LOADING FIRE-ARM. No.177,64z.

Patented May 23,1876. I

W/rA/ffsfs 3 N. PETERS. PHom-uTHoGRAPNEH. WASHINGTON D. c,

E. HUGHES. BREEcH-LOADING FIRE-ARM.

N.FETERS, PHOTQ-L|YHOGRAPHER. wASHlNGTON D C 3 Sheets-Sheen.

Patented May 23,1876.

Smeets-sheets. E. HUGHES.

BENCH-LOADING FIRE-ARM No.177,64z. Patented May 23,1876.

N.PETERS. POT0 LITHOGRAPHEIL WASHINGTON D C EDWIN HUGHES, OF LAMBETH,ASSIGNOR TO PHILIP WEBLEY, THOMAS` WILLIAM WEBLEY, AND HENRY WEBLEY, OFBIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

'IMPROVEMENT IN BREECHLOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. B-ll, dated May 23,1876 application tiled November 5, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN HUGHEs, of 36 Brook street, Kennington -Road,Lambeth, in the county of Surry, England, have invented certainImprovements in Breech-Loading Fowling-Pieces and Rifles, of whichthefollowing is a specification:

This invention' has for its object improvements in breech-loadingfowling-pieoes and rifles, and is applicable to arms in which thebarrels are mounted on an axis, so that for loading the muzzles may bedepressed and the open breeches raised above the breechplate to receivethe cartridges. rlhe hand-lever employed to withdraw the bolt or boltsand release the barrels is arranged to work on an axis-between the locksand on or in a line with the axis of the tumblers, or nearly so. Thetnmblers have a limb or arm projecting from their side to come in frontof the hand-lever, and on the hand-lever is a corresponding projection,so that by the same operation of the hand-lever which unlocks thebarrels both hammers are raised to full cock, and in consequence of thetumblers and the hand-lever moving around the same center the thrustupon the tumblers is direct, andan easy action is obtained, and butlittle power has to be applied beyond that requisite to overcome themain springs connected with the tumblers and the spring ofthehand-lever.

The stem ofthe bolt employed for locking the barrels is bent upward tocarry it above the Working parts of the locks, and bring it intoposition to engage with a projection on the hand-lever, so that theturningofthe handlever shall withdraw the locking-bolts at the same timethat it raises the hammers to full cock.

The axis on which the hand-lever turns may be hollow, and receive intoit the ends oi' the axis of the tumblers, one on either side. rlhetumbler axes pass through the lock-plates, and receive outside hammersof the ordlnar f form, thus making a self-coekin g gun to strike thenipples outside, whereas heretofore selfcocking guns have been made withstrikers to strike inside, and consequently fouling has accumulated inthe lock-work.

The gun can be made with the ordinary back-action locks, if required,with a projection on the tumbler to receive the pressure of the leverthat releases the bolt ofthe gun, the lever working in a line with theaxis ofthe tumbler, as before described, or the gun can be made with allthe lock-work ou the triggerplate, and imitation locks, with the tumbleraxis passing through the lock-plate to receive the hammers, or it can,if desired, be made to strike inside the lock-plate in the same manneras ordinary self-cocking guns are now made.

In order that my said invention may be lnost fully understood, andreadily carried into effeet, I will proceed to describe the drawingshereunto annexed.

Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of a breechloading fowling-piece,constructed according to vmy invention. Fig. 2 is a plan, partly insection, of the breech-piece and the triggerplate, and many of the partsin connection therewith, but without the barrels, stock, triggerguard,and hammers, which, however, are all indicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aside view, and Fig. 4 is a plan, oi' the breech-piece. Fig. 5 is a sideview, and Fig. 6 is a plan, of the trigger-plate.

rIhe nigger-plate has formed upon it a central lump or projection, al,in which is a slot, through which the head of the hand-lever passes. Aside view of the 'hand -lever is shown at Fig. 7, andA a front view atFig. 8. The hand-lever works upon a hollow steel pin inserted into thehole b1 in the lever, and into corresponding holes in the two sides ofthe slotted lump a1. rIhe trigger-plate and the hinder part of the lumpare also slotted at a2 a2 to receive the triggers shown at Fig. 9. Thehole al* in the `lump al receives the pin, on which the triggers turn.a3 is a hole to receive the screw, by which the trigger-spring is fixed.rIhis spring, which is clearly seen in Fig. l, passes between thetriggers. It is slit longitudinally, so that its two limbs may operateindepedently on the two triggers, and the tree end oi' each limb turnsoutward at a right angle, and enters a hole, c, drilled in the sideofthe trigger.

a4 a4 are holes to receive screws, by which two standards are fixed tothe trigger-plate. A side view ot' one of these standards is shown atFig. 10 and a plan 4at Fig.- 11. The two standards are right andleft,.but otherwise similar. the passage of the tumbler axis, for whichthe standard forms the outer bearing, the inner bearing being in thehollow axis of the hand-lever. A side view of 011e of the tunif blers isshown at Fig. 12, and a front view at Fig. 13. The tumblers are rightand left. a5 a5 are two studs screwed into the triggerplate. TheSear-pins pass through them into the lump al. Fig. 14 is a side View,and Fig. 15 is a plan, of one of the sears. The sears are right andleft.

plate, which accommodate the scar-springs, oneof which is clearly shownin Fig. 1. Pro- `]ectionsen the under side of the scar-springs en'- terthe recesses a6 and the bends of the springs are housed beneath thestuds a7 0.7 which are screwed into the trigger-plate. The same studsalso confine themainsprings at one end, the other end in each y,casebeing connect ed with tumbler by a swivel, in.' the usual way. The bendsof the inainsprings are received into another lump, a8. formed upon thetrigger-plate; One of the mainsprings is clearly shown in Fig. l. alXXlis a tapped hole in the lump al to receive the screw-d, which passesthrough the tang ot' the breech` piece and the wooden stock, binding allfirm-l ly together. a9 a9 are holes receivingscrews connecting thetrigger-plate with the under sldeof the breech-piece, and al is a holeref celvlng a screw which connects thev hinder end of the trigger-platewith the stock. On the top of the lump a is fixed, by a screw,- thespring c for the hand-lever. It is connect-` ed with the 'lever by aswivel.

When the hand-lever -is forced forward,

carries round the tumblers with it, as arms ff' of the tumblers abutupon" the sides of the notch or recess b2 in the hand-lever. rlhus thehammers g, which are fixed in the usual way upon the squares of thetumblers, are raised to full cock, and they are retained there by thesears until they are liberated by means of the triggers. At the sametime that the hand-lever raises the hammers it draws back thelocking-bolt, to release the barrels and allow the breeches to beopened.

d is a hole in the standard for aa are recesses lformed l at the bottomof the grooves in the trigger- Fig. 16v isa side-view, Fig. 17 .an endview, and Fig. 18 aplan, vof the locking-bolts The locking-bolt works ina passage cut for it in the breech-piece, and at h1 it catches thelocking projection iixed on the under sideof the barrels. .The bolt alsogives --motion to the rotary lock fi, which is a cylinder turning ion acentral stud fixed in the breech-piece. It has bayonet-grooves cut init-one on either side. Projections .on the.un.der side of the barrelspass down into these grooves, and then the partial rotation of therotary lock causes the projections to pass into recesses, from whichthey cannot escape until the rotary'locl; is again turned partly round.The

.rotary lock takes its motion from. the lockingvbolt by a pin upon itentering the oval recess h2. Fig. 19 shows the lock-plate, which, in thei arrangement shown, carries none ofthe work- `ing parts, althoughtheparts of the lock may be mounted upon lthe lockfplate withoutdeparting from myinvention. mainsprings being arranged.` tov pass to theback, asin back-.action locks, they may be In place of the arranged' topass to the front, -as in frontaction locks, and lie within slotsformedin the under side ofthe breech-piece, the plate which carries thelock-work being'f.carriedl forward under the breech-piece to supportthesprings:

What I claim is- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinybefore. setforth, of the locking-bolt bent upward atits rear end, thehammer-tumblers, and the .hand-lever rocking vertically on an axis,substantially in linewith the axes of the tumblers, and engaging Awiththe bent portion of the locking-bolt, whereby the bolt may be withdrawnto allow thebreech to be tilted, and the hammersare cocked by the directaction of the lever.

2. rlhe combination of the hand-lever, the hollow pin upon which itworks, and the 4hammer-tumblers having their axes inserted in saidhollow pin, substantially as and for the purpose set. forth.

EDWlN` HUGHES.

Witnesses:

J. B. WYNN, T. J. OsMAN, Both of No. 17 Gmceclmwch street, Loudon.

